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Since my left thumb is giving me jip these days both off and on the guitar I was thinking of trying a lower action at the bridge to try to maximise playability at the expense of tone.
Are there any tricks to work out how low you can go without fret buzz becoming unbearably ridiculous? I mean, you could get some bone, file away at it, put it in and realise you took off too much, at which point you'd have to start again on a different bit of bone. This could waste several bits of bone unless there is some trick to estimating how low you need to go before hand.
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Knowing how low you can go (in reply to Dudnote)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Dudnote
Since my left thumb is giving me jip these days both off and on the guitar I was thinking of trying a lower action at the bridge to try to maximise playability at the expense of tone.
Are there any tricks to work out how low you can go without fret buzz becoming unbearably ridiculous? I mean, you could get some bone, file away at it, put it in and realise you took off too much, at which point you'd have to start again on a different bit of bone. This could waste several bits of bone unless there is some trick to estimating how low you need to go before hand.
Hope that makes sense.
Dudthumb
Measure it...I think it's 2:1 or something simple like that. Meaning, take a bone down a millimeter the action goes down 0.5. Don't mess with the nut at all.
RE: Knowing how low you can go (in reply to Dudnote)
Palm mute right after the saddle and gradually press down while plucking. When it starts to buzz, measure what's the height at the 12th. Cut the saddle so that it will be at least slightly above that 12th fret measurement.
RE: Knowing how low you can go (in reply to Sr. Martins)
Hmm thanks guys.
Measure what? I suppose that was my question.
Can't get my head / hand around how to do flamenco technique with a palm mute. But if I press down with a I can picado a few notes with i and m. Pressing down more or less hard- fret a few different things with the left hand and "measure" by eye at the 12th.
Or are you saying ditch the left hand and use it to hold a measure? But then you wouldn't know if it's only going to buzz when fretting at the 4th (for example).
RE: Knowing how low you can go (in reply to Dudnote)
quote:
Measure what? I suppose that was my question.
Can't get my head / hand around how to do flamenco technique with a palm mute.
Measure the height at the 12th fret.
It's about taking a measurement one string at a time, not playing bulerias.
You just have to remember that the minimum height will be a bit more than the measured height because of the dampening effect of the palm mute... and pluck the string hard.
RE: Knowing how low you can go (in reply to Sr. Martins)
Sorry dude - I'm just not seeing the full picture here. I suppose you mean I should be playing open strings right? If you're fretting notes you can't measure at the same time.
Thanks for the Testament clip - helped vent some frustration about the a solea falsetta I'm struggling to transcribe Opening falsetta on that Indio Gitano clip Ricardo posted on the solea thread - any takers?
RE: Knowing how low you can go (in reply to Dudnote)
Lowering the action wont help your left hand thumb unless you have a ridiculously high action.
As Ricardo said, lowering 1mm (which is a lot) at the sadlle = lowering 0.5mm at 12th fret = aprox 0.25mm at 5th fret and aprox 0.12mm at the 2nd fret. Try meassuring 0.2mm You could try with a set of low tension strings if you havent already done.
Your left hand thumb problem is something different and honestly, I dont think it has to do with your guitar. You are doing something wrong or you have a seriously bad injury. If its the first, work on that. If its the second, take a looong break and dont start again untill you can do things differently because if not, you will very easily end up having the same problem again. Have you found out if you have some kind of artritis/artrosis or whatever its called in english?
Posts: 1770
Joined: Jul. 11 2003
From: The Netherlands
RE: Knowing how low you can go (in reply to Dudnote)
If you allow me I want to give you some advice. Give it a try.
The thumb pressiure is sometimes unneccesary big. Mostly unconsious. Try the next thing.
Take the guitar playing position that you are used to. Make sure, with the right arm and body, the guitar it is (extremely) firm and secure. Try now to play with the left thumb fróm the fretboard (not touch the guitar with the thumb).
You will see it is possible to play without using your thumb. Not good, but that is not importand. Try this everytime before you play. This way you make yourself Consious of the "unnecessary" pressiure you use.
Think about this a lot when you play normal. Hope this will solve your problem in the future.
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun. 14 2014
From: Encinitas, CA USA
RE: Knowing how low you can go (in reply to Dudnote)
One thing I have seen a lot in CG videos, is to not the press hard with your left hand but to let "gravity" apply the force from the hand to the strings.
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Ah well, there was a fantastic passion there, in my case anyway. I discovered flamenco very early on. It grips you in a way that you can't get away - Paco Pena
RE: Knowing how low you can go (in reply to Dudnote)
You may also find the neck itself is causing you an issue. Not as likely but I know of a few guitarists that have to play on either a thicker or a thinner neck. I get thumb ache if the neck is too thin around 20.5mm
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